Ephemeral
Channel Details
Ephemeral
The best source on our cultural identity is not the official, historical record — ask any anthropologist, it’s the town dump. Ephemera — those things that were just barely saved, and in some cases not saved at all — emanate with secrets we can only glimpse and mysteries we can never completely answe...
Recent Episodes
59 episodesEphemeral Podcasts
In our series finale, we ask some of our favorite creators about the ephemeral nature of podcasting itself.
Featuring podcasters Josh Clark and...
UMAN
Listening to the rerelease of the 1992 album Chaleur Humaine by the band UMAN. Featuring artists Danielle and Didier Jean and record label proprietor...
Vampira
The original, spooky, late-night TV host and one of the most influential characters in horror media, Vampira was the alter ego of Maila Nurmi, whose p...
Video Stores III: Vidiots
We revisit our series on video stores by showcasing the iconic, LA-based Vidiots, one of the only female-owned and operated video stores in the countr...
Movie Theaters
Nothing beats seeing a good movie on the big screen. But in the age of online streaming, how do theaters survive and continue to stay relevant? Featur...
Sideshow
The history of the American Sideshow with guests Robin Miniter and Taylor Hagerdorn, the team behind the podcast Grim and Mild Presents: Sideshow.
Loyalty Freak Music
Longtime Ephemeral listeners may recognize the music of chameleon artist Rrrrrose Azerty, although it can be a little tricky. They use twenty differen...
Ed Wood II
We continue our deep dive in the life and work of director Ed Wood with an exploration of Wood's later years and his posthumous rise to fame. Then the...
Ed Wood I
1959's Plan 9 From Outer Space has been called "the worst film of all time," its creator Edward D. Wood Jr. "the worst director." But Plan 9 and the r...
Star Ads
Audio ephemera collector Bob Purse returns to talk about more radio ads, this time from a source that remains a mystery.
See omnystudio.com/lis...
Radio Ads
The history of advertising over the air, featuring Cynthia B. Meyers, author of A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and the Golden Age of Rad...
BONUS: Video Game Saves
Video games create a marvelous world for players to live in and explore. But given the ephemeral nature of video game saves, these worlds can cease to...
Video Games II
We wrap our historical dive into video games with the modern age of gaming, from Playstation to Xbox to Nintendo. Then, we sit down with iHeart's nerd...
Video Games I
From Pong to Elden Ring, video games have dominated the interactive entertainment world for over half a century. We explore gaming's humble beginnings...
Walking and Silence
In our chaotic, noisy world, how does one find silence? Not only quiet surroundings, but inner silence. The second part of our conversation with explo...
Exploration
What draws us off the beaten path? The first of a two-parter featuring polar explorer and author Erling Kagge.
See omnystudio.com/liste...
Moog Synthesizers
In the 1950's, engineer Bob Moog started to tinker and build his own electronic instruments. Little did he know that his invention, the Moog Synthesiz...
Trash
With an unprecedented amount of new stuff being made, bought and sold everyday, we’re more likely than ever to throw things away. But where is away? F...
Noel
It's a Williams family Christmas in search of Romeo Muller's last film, 1992's Noël . https://youtu.be/BzKj4jYuG-I
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Winter Solstice
Across the globe and back to antiquity, this changing of season has been recognized in ritual, story and song. Featuring Carolyn McVickar Edwards, edu...
Romeo Muller & Rankin/Bass
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Frosty the Snowman. The Little Drummer Boy. All of these iconic holiday specials have something in common: they were w...
Drugs
This episode of Ephemeral is on drugs. Featuring Ethan Nadelmann, founder of the Drug Policy Alliance and host of the podcast Psychoactive.
Tattoo
These days, tattoos are everywhere. But no so long ago, tattoo was an underground art form. And before that, tattoo was a cultural touchstone for nume...
Inside Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book
An interview with author Helen Grant about M. R. James, the real village of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, and the wonders of Victorian ghost stories.
Canon Alberic’s Scrap-Book
An English tourist looking for hidden treasures in untrodden corners of France finds more than he bargained for.
See omnystudio.com/list...
Herk Harvey
Herk Harvey spent decades directing educational films, but he is best remembered for his lone feature, 1962's Carnival of Souls. Featuring interviews...
Drag
The art of drag has seen a rapid rise in popularity since the premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2009. But drag has been around for centuries; sometime...
37 Days of Peril
On September 9, 1870, while surveying the Yellowstone wilderness, Truman C. Everts was separated from his party with no horse, no food and little besi...
Video Stores II
Continuing our monthlong look at video store culture, the Ephemeral team takes a field-trip to pay their late fees. Featuring Dan Herbert, author of V...
Video Stores I
The rise and fall of the video rental store. Featuring Daniel Herbert, associate professor at the University of Michigan and author of Videoland: Movi...
UFOs
Lights in the sky, craft in the air, and extraterrestrial encounters. Featuring author Toby Ball, host of the podcast Strange Arrivals.
...
Alan Akaka
Our musical interview with steel guitar ambassador, teacher, performer, and legend Alan Akaka. For more context on the steel guitar and its place in H...
I Can Never Let You Leave Me
Ten songs that skipped a generation. Featuring the music of composer and performer Lorrie Doriza and her grandfather Tony Rais.
See omny...
Camp Bryn Afon
One Summer in 1965 frozen in time. Featuring audio ephemera collector Bob Purse.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Self-Released
For some artists, the only opportunity to share their work with the world is to do it all themselves. Featuring Matt Werth, proprietor of the RVNG Int...
Archival Records
Reigniting music under appreciated in its day. Featuring Matt Werth, proprietor of the RVNG Intl. record label, and the music of Peter Ivers.
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Laughing Record
There are many laughing records, but there is only one Laughing Record. Featuring music researcher Ian Nagoski of Canary Records.
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William Grant Still
The music of William Grant Still is as versatile as it is beautiful. So why don't we hear it more often? Featuring Still's granddaughter, journalist,...
Alice Guy
The first and for seventeen years only female filmmaker was Alice Guy. Featuring her biographer, author and historian Janelle Dietrick.
...
Acoustic Fossils
What does this place sound like? Featuring Jacob Job, sound recordist and research associate for Colorado State University’s Sound and Light Ecology T...